Asus Unveils PC-Free Internet Radio

I’m excited to see this new space expanding so rapidly; every time I go to a trade show, it seems like another company has a model. Asus, however, is one the bigger names to throw its hat in the ring.

The Asus Internet Radio (AIR) is PC-free–plug it into your router, and you’ve got access to 10,000 terrestrial radio stations worldwide, 250 of which can be preprogrammed on the device.

There’s no price or release information available on this guy yet, but maybe that’s for the best. Job number one for Asus and all the other companies that have models should be informing users about why they should be interested in such a device. As a former station manager, the appeal for me of being able to tune into my old digs is sort of a given.

But for most consumers in this post Clear Channel world, where variety abounds via services such as Pandora and Last.fm as well as satellite providers like XM and Sirius, terrestrial radio is going to be a hard sell. Is the idea of tuning into stations across the country and world without the aid of a PC enough to justify all the new entries in the field?